The invention relates to an apparatus for sharpening a cutter of a scaler fixed in a holder, and other periodontal instruments, with a motor-driven grinding wheel.
In the therapy of periodontal diseases a key part is played by root smoothing. A biological prerequisite for the regeneration of the diseased periodontium can only be created by a careful cleaning of the bacterially infected tooth root. The prerequisite for this is not only the knowledge of using a certain periodontal instrument, but also its permanent maintenance, i.e. the maintaining of sharp cutting edges, also during the periodontal surgery.
The grinding of the cutting edges of periodontal instruments by hand has hitherto been the only possibility to ensure adequate sharpness of the instruments. However, this method has specific disadvantages. The human being with his hands, eyes and three-dimensional imagination is not in a position to always apply a manual grinding stone in a correct angle to the minute cutters of the periodontal instrument, let alone retaining said angle during grinding and guidance. Therefore a high degree of training and skill is necessary to obtain even an average result during manual grinding. An optical check is also impossible as a result of the small size of the cutters. Therefore, during each new grind, a new grinding facet is obtained, which can only be corrected following the removal of a large amount of material. There is also considerable burr formation as a result of the guiding up and down of the grinding stone during the upward movement thereof. The pressure of the stone on the cutter is thereby left to the sensation of feel. Thus, the care of the periodontal instruments by manual grinding leads to a constant negative change to the shape and angular geometry of the cutter. The list of "grinding errors" in the corresponding handbooks shows numerous possibilities of incorrectly grinding an instrument when this is done manually.
In order to improve these conditions, use has also been made of a rotary, motor-driven grinding wheel, use being made of a support for supporting the hand of the operator or the instrument. However, as too many influences remain which are still only dependent on the skill of the operator, these aids have scarcely led to any change in solving the problem of sharpening periodontal instruments.